Outline

Dance of the Left Taiheiraku

Taiheiraku (‘Great Peace’) is a Dance of the Left of the bu-no-mai (‘military dance’) category, something that a quick glance at the costume makes very clear.

The suite is said to have been put together by the Inner Palace Guards of the Left, when Emperor Montoku (r. 850–58) moved to the Inner Palace. The dance is attributed to an Inner Palace Guard named Hitachi no Sumitsugu, but it is widely believed to derive from a much older model, the sword dance of a famous Chinese historical event, the Feast at Hong Gate (206 BC). This involved an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Liu Bang (247–195 BC), who went on to become the first emperor of Han dynasty, overcoming his rival Xiang Yu (232–202 BC).

In modern times, Taiheiraku is performed along with another Dance of the Left, Manzairaku (‘Ten Thousand Years’), at imperial accession ceremonies.

Structure of the Dance

The accompaniment for the dance as a whole is made up of five sections: 1. Taishikichō no chōshi, performed as an instrumental prelude; 2. Chōkoshi, performed as a Michiyuki (measured processional) to accompany the entrance of the dancers; 3. Tōkyoku no ha, the ha movement, otherwise known as Bushōraku; 4. Tōkyoku no kyū, the kyū movement, otherwise known as Gakkaen; and 5. Kyū shigebuki, the kyū movement repeated as the dancers exit.

The dancers put their halberds on the floor at the beginning of Bushōraku and pick them up during the dance. They begin dancing to Gakkaen after putting down their halberds, then draw their swords and dance anticlockwise around the stage. The slow tempo of the ha (Bushōraku) gives way to a fast tempo in the kyū (Gakkaen). The kyū is repeated from an intermediate point for the dancers to exit the stage.

Costume

The costume is red in color, of the betsu-shōzoku (‘individual costume’) type, which means that it is unique to this dance. Also known as katchū-shōzoku (‘armor costume’), it is the most complex of current bugaku costumes, made up of many individual pieces weighing together as much as 15 kilograms. The dancers wear this while dancing for about 40 minutes, which requires a great deal of stamina.

The katakui (shoulder guards) are said to be fashioned after dragon or lion heads. The intricate lacquered carvings are different for each of the dancers.

Points for appreciation

Dance of the Left Taiheiraku

The costume of Taiheiraku displays the skills of Japan’s traditional craftsmen in its brilliance and complexity. Watching the dance, we see warriors as they attack and defend, brandishing halberds and wielding swords, and moving, sometimes slowly and sometimes with a rhythmic bounce, across and around the stage. The ha movement ends in a distinctive way, with two of the dancers back to back. The yoroi (cuirass or armor jacket) has rows of small rattle bells attached to its lower hems, which sound as the dancers move, adding a distinctive jingling effect to the ensemble.

* In addition to Komaboko, Taiheiraku can be paired with a number of other Dances of the Right, including Kotoriso and Bairo.